I consume a lot of media on-line. In fact, were it not for the fact that I’m married to a Buckeye fan (who requires live sporting events) I’m pretty sure I could give up our monthly cable and not skip a beat. It’s not that I’m a television snob–I like plenty of television. It’s that technology has come to the point where I don’t need to watch anything (other than Buckeye football) when it airs. A big part of that are devices like the Apple TV, Boxee Box and Roku, all of which allow you to watch different kinds of content over the Internet on your TV.

My “ultimate” media box is almost here, and the Roku and Boxee both come close, yet fall just short. If they mated, we’d have a winner. Here’s what I’m after:

I want streaming media: Netflix and Hulu Plus are required, Amazon, Vudu, etc. are nice but not deal breakers.

It should be able to play any type of media I throw at it (within reason). For me, that’s primarily MPEG video, MP3 Audio, and JPEG Photos.

I need to not only get streaming services, I need to be able to browse my local files (I’ve digitized my entire CD library and I take a lot of home video).

The interface needs to be non-techie friendly, so other members of my household can use it without always needing my assistance.

So with those requirements in mind, here’s how the Roku and Boxee Box stack up.

It seems that a number of my tech friends own Roku’s (pronounced “Row Koo”) and I wanted a device to put on a second TV to get Netflix streaming, so I figured I would give the Roku a shot. The Roku is certainly the more affordable of the two. Models start at $59 and top out at $99. I purchased the XD/S. All of the Roku models have HDMI out for pumping video to HD televisions and they all come with a remote. I went with the XD/S because I wanted the dual-band wireless and the USB port (for convenience, mostly). If you don’t have a need for USB or the dual band, save the money and get the mid-range model.

Roku Media Player (XD/S)

The box itself is small and the build quality seems fine. It’s very unobtrusive in the small cabinet where my second TV sits. The remote functions fine and there is even a remote app for it to control the box from a smartphone which works well, too.

The Roku is based on a “Channel” model. So out of the box it has “Channels” configured for things like YouTube, etc. and you can then add Channels for the services you want to add. I had some issues getting the box to play nice with my wireless, but I’m not running your average home network, so I won’t go into details of that here. Suffice it to say that it took me about an hour to get it running, but it’s been very steady ever since.

What the Roku does, it does well. I’ve had good results streaming Hulu Plus and Netflix content. I also use it to get a Weather Underground feed. The interface isn’t the most beautiful in the world, it looks like it was designed by developers–not designers–but it’s functional and not confusing. I’d say it’s a very solid streaming performance and well worth the price.

Unfortunately, what the Roku doesn’t do is play local media. Well, that’s not entirely true. There is the USB port. However, there is not (currently) any good way to get access to my music, photos and videos that are stored on my NAS (Network Area Storage) box. That’s a *big* detractor for me, and why I wouldn’t use the Roku as my main media device. Part of the problem seems to be inherent to the device itself: it was clearly built for streaming, not downloading, and most local media doesn’t stream. This is a big drawback, though, and I think moving forward Roku will have to address this need, or they’ll end up failing to other boxes that serve it.

Next up is the Boxee Box. Boxee has been around for a while in the media game, making software that runs on your PC so it can act as a media center. I’ve used it on my Mac for a while and it’s really fantastic. The Boxee Box represents the first foray into the dedicated hardware arena for Boxee. It’s a small cube made by D-Link that runs the Boxee software. It’s pretty.

Boxee Box (by D-Link)

The overall build quality feels about the same as the Roku, but the similarities end there. It’s really a shame that the first Boxee Box is made by D-Link, because the hardware seems to be buggy as hell. The wireless card in it doesn’t support 5GHz (even though it was release in late 2010!) I had a *nightmare* of a time getting this box on the network. And I had problems updating the Boxee software on it as well. I eventually got it running and it seems stable, but it was a whole lot more effort for a nearly $200 box.

Fortunately, the other saving graces of the software make this box a winner. Boxee has clearly put more effort into user interface design, as the UI feels much slicker and looks much more refined than the Roku. The interface is gorgeous and really easy to use.

The Boxee does now support Netflix streaming, but it still doesn’t do Hulu Plus, which is a definite limitation for me, but Boxee has been in negotiation with Hulu and is *supposed* to be brining out Hulu support sometime soon. I hope that’s not just a rumor.

The Boxee Box is really outstanding when it comes to playing local media. It’s been able to play anything I’ve thrown at it. Music, videos, photos, all look great on it, and it all works without too much trouble. It even indexes movies (although it does so painfully slowly sometimes) and displays them with their cover art. Nice.

To me, there is no question that the Boxee Box is the more polished of the two devices, and it does everything it does quite well. If other hardware vendors get on the bandwagon and someone makes a slightly higher quality box, and they get their Hulu ducks in a row, the Boxee could be a device to be reckoned with.

The Verdict

Overall, both boxes do what they do well, they just do slightly different things. If all you care about is streaming Netflix movies and Hulu television shows, the Roku fits the bill. It’s affordable and it allows you to watch media from the net like a champ. If you’re like me, though, and it’s just as important (if not more so) to be able to watch your own media from your local network, it’s Boxee all the way.

For me, I’ll keep both for the time being. But once Boxee manages to offer Hulu streaming as well, I probably won’t have a need for the Roku anymore (unless Roku can make some big strides in the user interface and playing local media before then.) But I probably won’t buy another D-Link Boxee Box. I’ll either hold out for a better hardware vendor, or make my own small media PC.

1. Name a movie that you have seen more than 10 times.
Star Wars. Any of them. 🙂2. Name a movie that you’ve seen multiple times in the theater.
See #1. Seriously, I was a “Star Wars” generation kid… I dressed up as Boba Fete for one Halloween!3. Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie.
Johnny Depp. I really enjoy his approach to his art and his craft.4. Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie.
Faye Dunnaway. I really, really do not care for her acting ability.5. Name a movie that you can and do quote from.
Being of the male sex, I can quote from far too many movies. Among them, many Tarantino films, a fair selection of Adam Sandler, and almost anything by Hal Hartley. I think I have a few Hal Hartley shorts memorized completely.6. Name a movie musical that you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs.
Hmm… Probably “The Sound of Music” from when I was a kid. Or “The Wizard of Oz”7. Name a movie that have been known to sing along with.
RHPS (If you know the acronym, you know the movie.)8. Name a movie that you would recommend everyone see.
Wow. That’s too broad… one movie? Everyone? Okay, “Wings of Desire”.9. Name a movie that you own.
You name a movie I don’t! Seriously, I own a whole lot of movies.10. Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops.
Dwight Yoakam. Seriously. He can actually act. Wil Smith would have to be in there… for all the fluff movies he does, check out “Six Degrees of Separation”. He’s incredible in it.11. Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in? If so, what?
Well, I hate to be a one-trick pony, but “Star Wars”!12. Ever made out in a movie?
Yes.13. Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven’t yet gotten around to it.
An Inconvenient Truth14. Ever walked out of a movie?
Yes. And oh, the irony… it was a movie I was *in*… and one by a personal hero (John Sayles)!
It was “Eight Men Out” and I was an extra. I went to see it to see myself on the big screen and was so bored I left before I even got to my scenes. 🙂 I think Sayles is a certified genius filmmaker… but I don’t share his passion for baseball.15. Name a movie that made you cry in the theater.
I honestly can’t remember… I probably cried at E.T. in the theatre, but most of the movies that have made me cry (that I can recall) were rentals. (I really cried at the end of “Life is Beautiful”)16. Popcorn?
Very rarely. And usually only if my wife wants some. I’m a “Milk Duds” guy… but Diet Coke, all the time.17. How often do go to the movies (as opposed to renting them or watching them at home)?
Before law school? Or since law school? 🙂18. What’s the last movie you saw in the theater?
The Borat movie…19. What’s your favorite/preferred genre of movie?
Indie… definitely.20. What’s the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?
I think Bambi… but I really don’t remember it much. Then again, I don’t remember last Monday!

Popcorn or Candy? Candy. Milk duds or Receses Pieces.Movie you’ve been meaning to see forever? Well, between working full-time and law school in the evening, that list would be *way* too long for this post…You are given the power to recall one Oscar: who loses it, and to whom? Easy. 2001 Animated Feature Film–the first year of the category. Shrek won, a travesty. I would pry it from his green ogre hands and properly award it to Richard Linklater and the crew at Flat Black Films for Waking Life. They was robbed!Steal one costume from a movie for your wardrobe. Boba Fett. C’mon, the dudes a badass.Your favorite film franchise is: Star Wars. Duh.Invite five movie people over for dinner. Who are they? Why’d you invite them? What do you feed them? Hmmm… Five? Okay… do they have to be alive? I’m going to assume they do, which is a shame, because dinner with Billy Wilder would be *awesome*. Here goes:John Sayles. He’s a genius and responsible for one of the greatest American movies: Matewan.Steven Soderbergh. Another great American indie filmmaker and very largely responsible for a renaissance in American indie film with Sex, Lies, and Videotape.Richard Linklater. Another great American indie. Yeah, I know, I saw The Newton Boys but you have to give him Slacker, Before Sunrise, Tape and one of my favs, Waking Life.Johnny Depp. I just love this guy. I’ve never seen someone who was originally written off (21 Jump Street anyone?) become such a great artist. I’ve also never seen an interview with him that wasn’t interesting and engaging. I’m sure he has off nights, but I think he’d make a great guest.Mark Cuban. He went to my alma matter. His production company, 2929, which with Soderbergh has done some really innovative things with distribution. He owns HDNet. And I have a business plan for a production company I would like to pitch him that could be funded with just a small fraction of his Maverick’s payroll. 🙂
I would feed them Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic. It’s easy and delicious.What is the appropriate punishment for people who answer cell phones in the movie theater?
Stocks. As in the kind that bind your hands and feet for public humiliation. In the lobby of the theater.What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever seen in a movie? Excluding documentaries, I’d say, Kazaam… Shaquille O’Neal is a great example of how being a sports star has nothing to do with your ability to act.Your favorite genre (excluding “comedy” and “drama”) is… indie.You are given the power to greenlight movies at a major studio for one year. How do you wield this power?
I would use my power to greenlight a ton of small(er) budget indie films to try to usher in a new golden age of quality studio films. You know, like back in the day when studios were making films like Midnight Cowboy and Network, two amazing films that would probably never get the green light at a major studio today.Bonnie or Clyde? See, that’s too tough. I mean, on the one hand, Warren Beatty is fine and all, but Faye Dunnaway makes me want to hurl. (Except in Network, about the only decent performance she’s ever given, but I digress.) So I’m gonna cheat and go with another classic couple/criminal film, Breathless and say Jean-Paul Belmondo–cooler than Warren Beatty any day.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a film fan and a huge fan of Richard Linklater. Here’s the trailer for A Scanner Darkly which has been pushed back (again!) to this summer… I will be there opening day.

“I don’t want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don’t want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don’t want to do that.” –Lloyd Dobler, Say Anything

Or:

“Listen pal, you can’t just waltz in here, use my toaster and spout universal truths without qualification!” –Jude, Surviving Desire

But there were some really great ones on the list, like:

“Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! This is the War Room.” –President Muffley, Dr. Strangelove

This is a small snippet from Mark Cuban’s Blog about HDNet Films and 2929 Entertainment, and how Cuban intends to revolutionize the way we see movies. That’s not the important part. The important part is his attitude:

“I’m sure mistakes will be made along the way. I’m sure that there will be surprises. I’m sure we will have to do quite a bit of adjusting to make the program a win win for all involved.
So what?

If it works, everyone, particularly consumers benefit.
If it doesn’t, everyone calls me a dumbass, and we go back to doing it the way it was always done.
I can handle that.”

Ismail Merchant, better known as one half of Merchant Ivory Productions, passed away today. He had been producing films since 1960 and his works included: A Room with a View, The Remains of the Day, Howards End, and Le Divorce just to name a few.

I did not have a chance to see Revenge of the Sith on Wednesday (damn you, Property final!). But I did catch the very first show as soon as I was done issue spotting about equitable servitudes. In fact, I ran into a classmate there, so all law student’s aren’t evil after all! Unless we were there to root for the Sith. Hmmm. Anyway, here’s my rundown, including some responses to other criticisms I’ve seen elsewhere.

Note: There will be spoilers, so don’t read further if you:have not yet seen the move; and/or care.

Overall Impressions
I liked it. I was predisposed to liking it. I grew up on Star Wars and I am a geek. And this is the episode where Anakin becomes Darth Vader, one of the greatest movie villains of all time. I mean, c’mon. What’s not to like? It would have really had to suck bad, and it did not. My all time favorite remains The Empire Strikes Back but this was dark in the same tradition as Empire, and tied the first three episodes nicely together leading into the original episode IV.

The Visuals
Okay, Lucas has these down. The movie look really, really great. I wasn’t blown away by the effects of the first two. They were meh. Good, but not jaw dropping. I think nearly all of the visuals in this one were perfect. Everything just looked great.

The Action
Nice. Very nice. The fight between General Grievous and Obi-Wan was quite cool, the battle scenes in general were great, and the fight between Obi-Wan and Anakin was pretty killer. But once again, the show stealer was Master Yoda. Watching Master Yoda and Sen. Palpatine/Darth Sidious battle it out in the Senate chambers was pretty damn cool. I mean, c’mon, Yoda meets the Emperor? That’s good stuff. It beats the hell out of an extended pod-race, let me tell you.

Darth Vader
Oh yeah, baby. I’ve heard a few people express dismay that Anakin’s transformation to the Dark Side was too quick-but that is forgetting the other two movies. It’s not like Anakin just got all uppity in this movie; he had discipline problems before, and a serious chip on his shoulder from his mother’s death. I mean, a Jedi doesn’t exact revenge the way he did against the Sand People, now does he? When you combine that, with him being played as a double agent, his obvious sense of entitlement and desire for power, the thing with Padme is just the straw that broke the camels back. He was headed to the Dark Side a while ago, folks. This is just the final step. So if it seems like a baby step, in a way, it is, he’d already made most of the journey.

The Acting/Dialog
Okay, for everyone who says, “the acting was so wooden, it wasn’t very good” or “god the dialog was awful,” I would like to quote my niece, who express as only an teenager could, “Well, duuuuh.”

Look people, this film is not high art. It’s not a Shakespeare Sonnet. It’s talky movie; no My Dinner with Andre here. It’s a damn space western/space opera for chrissake. Stop for a moment and consider, if you will, that maybe–just maybe–the acting is supposed to be wooden? And the dialog is supposed to be cheesy? It’s not like Star Wars had the Gettysburg Address in it.

George Lucas has certainly written better, and Natalie Portman has certainly acted better. But the bad acting/dialog is part of the genre, damnit. Get over yourselves and enjoy the movie, you over analytical twits. To all of you griping about the dialog and acting, you’re nothing but a bunch of scruffy nerf herders.

The Recap
I loved it. I’ll go see it again, just to see if I missed any pointers to the original series, those little gems that were thrown in for fans and people who grew up on the originals. And the story wasn’t bad, it appeals to my own dark side, and nicely tied together all the loose ends from the first two episodes. It’s well worth the money, and I think it will stand out as the best among the first three in much the same manner as Empire stands out among the next three. If you haven’t already, go see it.